Steam iron



Aug. 13, 1957 A. c. HoEcKER y 2,802,289'

STEAM IRON Original Filed March 31, 1948 v az fifa Attorney iinitedStates Patent STEAM inoN Albert C. Hoecker, St. Louis, Mo., assignor, bymesne assignments, to General Electric Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York @riginal application March 31, 1948, Serial No.18,091, now Patent No. 2,716,297, dated August 30, 1955. Divided andthis application January 25, 1955, Serial No. 483,894

8 Claims. (Cl. Sli- 77) This invention relates to steam irons and moreparticularly to steam and dampening irons.

This invention is a division of my copending application Serial No.18,091, led March 3l, 1948, now Patent No. 2,716,297, issued August 30,1955.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a steam iron boilerfrom which steam can be conducted to the material to be ironed directfrom the boiler and in which waterkcan be directed to the heated soleplate ,so that steam can be quickly generated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an iron with a pumpingsystem which can be operated by depressing a button on the handle of theiron and in which only suicient water will be injected into, the boilerVto keep the boiler in operation with aVK limited interference with thesteam pressure in the boiler;

A further object of the invention is to provideV a water containerformed in the shell of the iron in which air is pumped and meanscommunicating with they air and water spaces for conducting a mixture ofair and water to the material to be ironed. v

A still further object of the invention is to provide an iron with apumping system for conducting atomized water to the material to beironed and in which the mechanical parts of the system are mostlyenclosed within the shell of the iron so as to provide a streamlineeffect.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pressing iron with awater container, insulated from the sole plate, and a pump communicatingwith the water in said container and with an atomizing nozzle forforcing the water through said atomizing nozzle to atomize the water. l

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for fillingthe boiler and water container with water.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a steam anddampening iron with a water container and steam boiler, the watercontainer being insulated from the boiler to prevent the steam from theboiler converting the water in the water container into steam.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steam iron boiler withmeans for atomizing a'mixture of steam and water and for conducting theatomized mixture Aof steam and water to the material to be ironed. f

An additional object of the invention is to provide a pressingironwith/a sole plate or hot plate and a water container having anopening communicating with said hotplate and means for regulating thewater passing through said opening including means for creating pressurein said container to force the water through said opening onto said hotplate and thereby increase the steam discharged from said hot plate.

Other and further objects will appear in the specication andspecifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings exemplifying'the invention and inwhich:

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Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the iron. Fig. 2 is across-sectional plan view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is afragmentary bottom view of the iron shown in Fig. l;

Fig, 4 is a fragmentary top view of the iron shown by Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the iron shown by Fig. 1.v i v Referring to theaccompanying drawing,V the iron includes a sole plate 46, a steam boiler47 and a water container 48, said sole plate being secured to the boilerby screws 49. The forward end of the sole plate 46 is provided with aV-shaped distributing channel 50 on its top surface and communicatingwith said channel ,are perforations 51 providing discharge outlets tothe under side of the sole plate 46 for conducting steam to the materialbeing ironed. The boiler 47 is provided ,witha member 52v whichcommunicates with the steam space in the boiler and with the channel 50,throughopenings 53 in the side of the member 52, thereby rconductingsteam from the boilerv to the channel 50. Obviously the member 52 ishollow and may be cast as an integralfp'art of the boiler to extendalong the heated sole plate 46 to the channel 50 rand the toe oftheiron. Cast as. an integral part of the member S2 isr a cup shapedYmember 54 which communicatesjwith an opening 55 inthe lower wall of thecontainer 48. This cup 54 catches` the water dropping fromthe opening55, before the water enters the main path inthe member 52,` so that inthe event the valve opening 55 (which will be Ydescribed later) isopened further than necessary, the water in the cup 54 which is indirect contact with therheated sole plate 46 will be converted to steam,before entering the main opening of the member 52, thereby preventingwater stains in the material ironed caused by drops of water that wouldbe carried with the steam.

Disposed between the lower wall 56 of the boiler 47 and in a depression57 in the upper surface of the sole plate 46 is an electrical heatingelement 58 with the conventional terminals 59, which extend through thelower wall 56 of the boiler and are connected to a conductor 60, whichconducts electrical energy from a source of electrical supply to theheating element 58.

The forward portion of the iron is provided with a water container 48having double walls 61 so as to provide an air space 62 between thiscontainer and the sole plate 46 and boiler 47, thereby insulatingcontainer 48 from the heat of the iron. Extending through the side wallsof the iron and communicating with the air space 62 are perforations 63providing air inlets to the air-space 62. The steam boiler 47 isprovided with a partition 64 which extends from side wall to side wallof the boiler so as to provide a steam chamber 65 and to prevent thewater in the boiler from entering the steam outlet in the member 52.

Cast as `an integral part of the Ywater container 48 is pump cylinderhaving its upper end extending through the upper wall of the watercontainer 48. The lower end of the pump cylinder 66 -is provided withatransverse hollow member 67 which iscast as an integral part of thepump cylinder 66 and upper wall ofv the double walls61, said hollowmember communicating with the pump cylinder 66 and water container 43and also with the atmosphere, through valves, which will be describedlater. The air inlet of the transverse member is cast fas an integralpart of the side wall of the water container 48. The opening in thehollow members 67 is enlarged so as to provide a shoulder adapted to 'beengaged by a spring'72, said spring also engaging agb-all air inletvalve 70 for holding the valve on its lseat 75, said seat being `a partof a tubular member 74 which is screw-threaded through the outer wall ofthe container 48 and into the hollow member 67. Thus it will be observedthat when the plunger 80 is pulled upwardly a vacuumrwill be created inthe cylinder thereby causing `the valve 70 to be lifted `off its seat 75yand air to enter the cylinder 66 through the passageway 76 inthe"tubular member 74'and'side wall of the water container 48. The otherend of the hollow transverse member 67 communicates with the interior ofthe water container 48. The opening in the hollowrr'iember is enlargedto form a valve lseat for the ball discharge valve 71 and engaging theball valve 71 is ya spring 73 which also engages the end of Zatubularmember 77 for holding the ball discharge valve on its` seat. Theouter end of the tubular member 77 is closed by a threaded -plug 78which is screw-threaded in the side wall 'of the container 48. In thetubular member 77 and communieating 4with the `interior of the containerand cylinder is al discharge outlet' 79 through which the air from thecylinderis pumped into the water container 48. The valve assembly can bereplaced and repaired by removing the plug ,78. The plunger 80 isprovided with `aknob 81 which extends through the handle 82, so theoperator of the iron can grasp the knob and reciprocate the plungerinthe cylinder 66. Surrounding the plunger 80 is a ring of packing,`held in position by a gland 83 which is screw-threaded on the cylinder66.

From the foregoing it will be observed that `if the operator of the irongrasps the `knob 81 and pulls the plunger upwardly air will enter thecylinder 66, las previously mentioned, Iand when-the plunger `80 isforced downwardly the `air in the cylinder' will overcome the tension'ofthe spring 73 and force the air past the ball discharge-valve -71 andthrough the discharge outlet 79 in'tothe container 48. Y 'tExtendingthrough the double walls 61 and in alignment with the vcup54 islanopeningSS having a tapered part 84. In the top wall of the container48is `a tapered opening 85 and in saidopen'ing is a correspondinglytapered plug 86,*held in said opening by screws 87. Cast as an integralpart of the plug 86 is'a stutlingbox 88 screw-threaded for `thereception of `a screw-threaded valve stem 89 having its lower endtapered andY adapted to cooperate with the tapered opening 55, and itsupper end provided 'with 'a T-shaped head 90 to receive the ,knob 92 foradjusting the tapered end of the valvestem 89 in the tapered opening55.` Surrounding the valve stem 89 is a packing ring93'andscrew-threaded in the stufng box 88 is Aa packing gland 94 foradjustingthe packing.

Cast as an integral part 'of the plug 86 is a second stufiing box 95 andtube 9,6 and in the tube 9,6 is a tapered valve seat 97, for receiving acorrespondingly tapered valve 98'of a valve stem 99. The valve stem99extends through the stutiing'box V95, and'surrounding the valve stem-99is-'a packing ring, which is adjusted by a packing gland 100. The-upperend of the valve 'stem 99 is'provided with a washer 101, whichV istightly'pressed on the s'tem 99, so that when the knob 92, which isslid-ably mounted on the valvev stem, vis moved downwardly the endof theknob will engage the washer 101 and thereby force the valve 98 off itsseat 97. Surrounding the valve stem 99 is a spring 102 which engages thewasher 101 and packing gland 100 for holding the tapered valve 98 on thetapered valve seat 97. The tube 96 which extends into the water inthecontainer 48 is provided with an air inlet 102. Also cast as an integralpart of the plug 86 is a nozzle 103 which communicates with thecontainer 48 through `a slot 104 in the valve stem 99. The slot 104 inthe valve stem conducts the dampening uid from the valve 98 to thenozzle 103, from which the dampening fluid is conducted to the materialto be ironed through the atomizing discharge outlet 105. A filler plug'106 is screw-threaded in the opening 106 forintroducing Water into thecontainer 48.

The rear end of the boiler is provided with la ller device comprising afunnel 107 having a member 108 which extends approximately to the centerof the funnel, and n this member 108 are screw-threads for the receptionof a screw-threaded rod 109. The upper end of the rod 109 is providedwith a handle 110 for rotating the rod in the threaded part of themember 108 and the lower end of the rod has a tapered part lllwhich isnormally seated in the opening 112 in the bottom part of the cylindricalpart 113, which is part of the funnel 107. In the cylindrical part 113of the funnel and pressed on the rod 109 is a collar 114, which isadapted to reciprocate in the cylindrical part 113, so that any steamwhich may be in the boiler 47, when introducing water in the boiler,will not injure the operator'of the iron. In the side wall 115 ofcylindrical part 113 is an opening 116 which communicates with lalongitudinal slot 117 formed in a thickened part of the wall and theslot 117 also communicates with a discharge outlet 118 for conductingthe steam downwardly from the funnel 107 and to the latmosphere, therebypreventing the exhaust steam from injuring the operator of the iron,when the handle 110 is being manipulated for introducing water intothe'boiler. In Fig. 5 it will be noted that the tapered part 111 is outof the opening 112 and the collar 114 is in the upper part of thecylindrical part 113, thereby permitting any steam that may be n theboiler to exhaust through the outlet 118. After the steam is all out ofthe boiler `the handle 110 is turned to the left until the collar 114 isout of the cylindrical part 113 sufficiently to allow the water pouredinto the funnel 107, when lling the boiler, to bypass the collar andenter the vboiler through the opening 112. After the boiler is filledwith water the handle 110 is turned to the right until the tapered part`111 closes the opening 112, thereby sealing Vthe boiler. t

The handle 82 is secured to the iron by screws 119.

The operation of the iron is as follows:

Assuming now that the iron has been in operation and there is a lsmallamount of steam in the boiler and the operator of the' iron desiresrefilling the boiler with water, itis only necessary to turn the handleto the position illustrated in Fig. 5. In the position shown, any steamthat may be in the boiler 47 will escape into ythe cylindrical part 113through the opening 112 and exhaust through the opening 116 into theslot 117 and out the opening 118 tothe atmospherel' Further turning ofthe handle 110 to the left will cause the collar 114 to rise above thecylindrical part 113 of the funne1107, so that water introducedinto thefunned will iiow into the boiler 47 through the opening 112. After theboiler is lled to approximately one inch`from the partition 64, thehandle 110 is turned to the right until the tapered part 111 is seatedin the opening 112, sealing the boiler.

After the boiler is sealed, the plug 106 is removed from the'container48 and water introduced into the container until the water is inalignment with the filler plug 106, the plug is then replaced, sealingthe container 48. Air is then 'pumped into the container 48 by graspingthe knob 81 and pulling the plunger 80 upwardly, causing `the air torush into the cylinder 66, through passage 67 from the side Wall of `theiron, as shown by Figs. l and 2. Forcing the plunger downwardly willcause the air in the cylinder to force the discharge valve 71 off thevalve seat, forcing the air through the opening 79 into the container48. A f ew strokes of the plunger 80 will force sufficient air into thecontainer 48 to force the water through the opening 55 and through theatomizing dis charge outlet 105. The operation of the atomizer and valvewill be described later. Electrical connection may now be made betweenthe conductor 60 and a source of electrical energy. This will result inthe heating element 58 giving off heat which Will heat the sole plate 46of the iron and will also heat the walls of the boiler 47 so as toconvert the water therein into steam. The steam so produced will passupwardly into the steam chamber 65 and move downwardly through the steamconducting member 52 and'openings 53 into the steam distributing channel50 from which the steam will discharge onto the "gehaast-' V materialironed through the perforations 51, in the'sole plate. The steam can bedampened by'rotating the knob 92 to the left, thereby retracting thetapered end of the valve stem 89 from the tapered opening 84 admittingwater into the cup S4, the water being atomized by the steam passingthrough the steam conducting member 52. The material ironed may also bedampened by depressing the knob 92, the edge of the knob 92 engaging thewasher 101 on the valve stem 99 forcingthe valve olfxits seat 97,causing vthe air which was pumped into the container 48 to enter theopening 102 in the tube 96 and pass through the slots 104 inthe valvestem 99 into the nozzle 103 for discharge through the atomizingdischarge outlet` 105 to the material being ironed. It will be notedthat when the air from the container is discharged through the dischargeyoutlet 105, the water in the container 48 will be supplied through thetube 96 and be mixed with the air passing through the atomizingdischarge outlet 105, thereby providing a fine spray of dampening iluidfor dampening the material being ironed.

Note also that the iron is actually two irons and that either one may beoperated independently of the other. The boiler 47 may be utilized as asteam iron without the co-operation of the container 48 and thecontainer 48 may be operated as a steam iron by manipulating the knob 92as previously described and admitting water into the cup 54 wherein thewater will be converted to steam by the heat of the sole plate. From thecup 54 the steam will be discharged through the perforations 51 to thematerial to be ironed. The material ironed may be dampened by depressingthe knob 92 as previously described.

The Water in the container 48 may be forced into the boiler 47 through avalve 120 by increasing the air pressure in the container 4S above thesteam pressure in the boiler 47.

In order to limit pressure of steam in the boiler 47, the iron isprovided with a second valve 120 (Fig. l) of the same constructionas thevalve 120, but adapted to operate just the reverse of the valve 120.Hence, only one of these valves will be described in detail. The valve120 consists of a casing 123 which extends through one of the doublewalls 61 and into the second wall 61, with a small opening in said wallcommunicating with the casing 123 and the boiler 47. Since the smallopening 123" is smaller than the opening in the casing 123 a shoulder isprovided for the engagement of one end of a spring 124, the other end ofthe spring engaging a ball valve 124 which engages a tubular member122', said member having a passageway 122.

The valve 120 is clearly shown in section in Fig. 2. As shown, the airpressure in container 48 forces water through passageway 122 and forcesball valve 124 oft its seat thus admitting water from the container 48into the boiler. This cools the water in the boiler 47, decreasing thesteam pressure and thereby conserving steam that would otherwise beexhausted in the atmosphere. While the valve shown in Fig. 2 admits airor water from the container 48 into the boiler 47 to cool the water inthe boiler 47 to prevent the steam in the boiler from exceeding apredetermined pressure and thereby conserving steam, it is obvious thatif the valve structure is reversed, as shown for valve 120 in Fig. 1,the steam pressure in the boiler will force the valve off its seat andadmit steam from the boiler into the water in the container 48 therebypreventing excessive steam pressure in the boiler.

This arrangement of dual check valves between the water container andboiler conserves steam, permits addition of water into the boilerwithout interfering with the normal operation of the iron, anddischarges steam in case of excessive pressure in a manner which willnot injure the operator of the iron or cause objectionable nolse.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new'and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1. A steam and dampening ironcomprising a water container having a water space and an air space and asteam boiler having a steam space and a water space, a sole platesecured to said boiler and means for heating said sole plate and thewater in said boiler to generate steam, means communicating with saidboiler and having a discharge outlet for conducting steam yfrom `saidboiler to the material to be ironed, pumping means for pumping air intosaid container, fluid conducting means communicating with the waterspace in said container and having an air inlet and an atomizingdischarge outlet for directing atomized water from said water space insaid container to the material to be ironed to supply moisture thereto.t

2. The combinationV of claim 1, including a control valve in the fluidconducting means for controlling the mixture of air and water dischargedthrough said atomizing discharge outlet.

3. A steam iron comprising a sole plate, a steam boiler and anindependent water container disposed above and connected to said soleplate, an air space between the boiler and container and between thecontainer and sole plate, and a safety valve communicating with saidcontainer and said boiler to discharge steam from said boiler into saidcontainer upon occurrence of excessive pressure said container beingspaced from the sole plate to provide air circulation to prevent thewater from being heated so the water will condense the steam enteringthe container.

4. A steam iron comprising a sole plate, a steam boiler and anindependent water container disposed above and connected to said soleplate, a safety valve communicating between said container and saidboiler to discharge steam from said boiler into said container uponoccurrence of excessive pressure, and means thermally insulating saidcontainer from said sole plate and from said boiler whereby steamentering said container is condensed.

5. In a steam iron including a sole plate and heating means therefor, asteam boiler disposed above and connected to said sole plate to receiveheat therefrom, an independent water container including means thermallyinsulating said container from said sole plate and boiler, pressurerelief valve means communicating between said boiler and said containerto discharge steam from said boiler into said container upon occurrenceof an excessive boiler pressure, exhausted steam thereby condensingwithin said relatively cool container, liquid valve means communicatingbetween said container and boiler to supply liquid to said boiler whenpressure in said container exceeds boiler pressure, and auxiliary meansfor increasing the pressure in said container.

6. A combined steam and dampening iron comprising a housing and soleplate including an operating handle and means for securing the housing,handle and sole plate together, said housing being provided with outerwalls and a partition dividing the housing into a water container havinga water space and an air space and a boiler having a steam space and awater space, means communicating with said steam space for conductingsteam from said steam space over said sole plate to the material to beironed for steaming the material, a discharge outlet communicating withsaid container and sole plate through which water from said container isdropped on a heated part of said sole plate to convert quickly the waterinto steam while the water in said boiler is being converted to steam toaugment steam supplied from said boiler, means for heating said soleplate and the water in said boiler to produce steam, and pumping meanshaving an air inlet for admitting air into said pumping means and adischarge outlet through which the air from said pumping means is pumpedinto said container, so the air pressure within said container willforce the water out of said container onto the sole plate of the iron,thereby overcomingA the ,Steam Pressure generated by the ,heat of theSole plate arid producing a greater amount of steam.

7. A dampening apd 1pressing iron comprising a sole platre, a containerdisposed above and connected to 'said sole plate and having an air spaceand a Water space therein, uid conducting means communicating with saidair and water spaces to mix the air with the water therein, a dischargeoutlet for said fluid conducting means di- 'rected toward vthe materialto be ironed, pumping means communicating with said container forpumping air into said container forforcing the mixture of air and Waterthrough said discharge outlet, a water discharge outlet communicatingwith a part of the heated sole plate for discharging small quantities ofwater onto said sole plate to convert quickly the water into steam, andmeans communicating with the sole plate for conducting the steam to thematerial to be ironed.

-8. A dampening and pressing iron comprising a sole plate, a water andair container disposed above and connected to said sole plate, means forcompressing air into said container, means for heating said sole plate,uid conducting means including an atomizing discharge outlet, said Huidconducting means communicating with the water space in said container tosaid discharge outlet, an air inlet in .said uid conducting meanscommunicating with the air space in said container, air from saidcontainer entering said air inlet into said uid conducting means toatomize the water and to conduct a mixture of air and water from saidcontainer to the material to be ironed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,129,286 Gage Feb. 23, 1915 1,649,507 Brewer Nov. 15, 1927 2,109,326Tricomi et al. Feb. 22, 1938 2,180,523 Horton n- Nov. 21, 1939 2,271,686Fitzgerald Feb. 3, 1942 2,353,425 Woodman July 11, 1944 2,387,757Hoecker Oct. 30, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 203,410 Great Britain Sept. 10,1923 690,034 France June 10, 1930

